Apparatus for cleaning fish.



A. HAUBER.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FISH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14. I914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNSSES: I EOR.

' BY 7 f: 42, ,Z, w- 7 TTORNEYS.

A.HAUBER, APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FISH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY. 1914.

1,1 34,529. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

M SHEETSSHEET 2.

v WI'TNESSES: Q'VENTOR.

BY W 1 i": 72/907726 I W W 7 ATTORNEYS sae rns PATENT OFFER AUGUST HAUBER, OF HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO F. E. BOOTH, OFSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APCPARATUS non ermine FISH."

To all whom may concern I Be it knownthat I, AUGUST HAUBER, a

ard, in the county of Alameda and new and useful Improvements in Apparatus fonGleaning Fish, of-which the following is a specification. I

The present invention relates to an apparatus' for the cleaning of fish generally for packing or other purposes, although it is more particularly .designed'for the cleaning of what is known to the trade as the Mon- .terey sardine, a fish running in length from six to ten inches; the object of the 1n-v vention being to clean or remove; the entrails of the fish without mutilating the fish in any manner whatever for "packing purposes, While at the same time securing a more perfect cleanin' of the fish than bythe hand operation 6 cleaning, and increasing the output over that possible by hand,'thus ma-v terially reducing the expense incident to the cleaning of the fish by hand and increasing the output of the plant. f V

a To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 1s a vpart brokenn riew, side elevation, of. the apparatus, illustrating the endless carrier with the-holders for the fish,

the position: of'the cutting devices relative to thefish runway, and the suction means for Withdrawing; the entrails from the fish. Fig. .2Iis a top plan view of the parts'disclosed by Fig. '1 of -the drawings. :Fig. 3 isga vertical sectional end view of the ap-. paratu's taken on line w--w-'Fig. 1 of the drawings arrow. hig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional ,view of the suction container. for receiving the withdrawn entrails, with the suction lders withthe fish therein positioned for the action of the \pump. applied thereto. v5 is a detail yiew illustrating one of the 0 suction -means.. Fig. -6 is a detail end view.

otonewfthe holders for the fish to be cleaned. In the drawmgs, the numeral 1 is used to.

designate the runway for the endless carrier 2, said runwayat one side thereof being pro- Qvided with a guard wall 3 The endless car: rier 2 works over the sprocketwheels 4 and .4. mounted on the shafts 5;and 5' locatedre- .spectively at end of the'runway 1,]rota- Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed July 14,

and viewed in the direction of the" 1914. seriamaasas'sa.

tion being imparted to shaft'5 by meansof a power driven belt (not shown) working over a belt pulley 6 secured to the projecting end of said shaft. a From the endless carrier 2 upwardly proqzects a-series of spaced supports or brackets each being in the present case inclinedtoward the guard wall '3, and to each .of said brackets is-secured a transversely disposed holder 8 for the fish to be operated on. In

the present case these holders are illustrated Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

as tubular in form, but the shape thereof is immaterial justso long as they. will properly hold the fish placed thereon. Owing to the inclination of thebrackets 7,it' is obvious thatthe h lders 8 will lie at an inclination to: the horiaontal, so that when a fish is placed therein the nose of'the same will rest against the guard wall 3, whichstands at an outward inclination. Within the runway 1 is mounted on a shaft 9 for, rotation the I spaced cutting disks 1010, the distance between the cutting disks or blades being such as to; permit of the holders-8 assing betweenthe inner'walls thereof. the. present casethe .shaft- 9 is mounted within a bearing 11. secured to the upperface of the guard-wall 3, and rotation is imparted thereto by a'drive belt (not shown), working over a belt pullei,121 secured to: the outer end of the said shaft. 'H0wever, it will be. understood that'any suitable means may be employed for imparting high rotative'speed to the shaft. 9 and equally so that anysuitable ,means maybe employed for imparting'rotation to the drive-shaft 5' for; actuating the g endless carrier 2.

To one side of the the carriena nd in advance of; the-cutting instrumentahtles 10 'and 10 is located a platform 13. forfthe reception of the fish to be cleaned,

which fish arepiledon saidplatform and by an attendant, therjejj stationed, fed into the holders 8 ascai-riedby said station by, the

endless carrien. ,Eacli holder is vof-a, length somewhat less thanithe Iength'Iofthe'fish to be cleaned, so. that when the .fish 14 are placed within the holders the head and tail thereof roject beyond the respective ends of the hol er, the nose of the. fish, due to the inclination-10f the holder,.bearing against the inner face of the guard wall 3. As thus positioned, the .tail and head of the fish are wit "nthe' s here of the cuttin 1nfistminentalit es by t e travel of the en carrier and as conveyed forwardly the head and tail are severed from the fish, and in this condition the fish is carried toward the suction opening 15 in the guard wall 3v a short distance beyond the sphere of the disks or cutting instrumentalities 10 and 10. Each holder 8 is slightly cut away, as shown at a, so as toride over the convex surface I) in the guard Wall 3 adjacent the auction opening 15 thereof, so that the head end portion of the fish will come in perfect registry with the said suction opening during the forward travel of the endless carrier.

The suction opening 15 is connected with a container 16 by a short connection or conduit 17, and by a pipe connection .18 the container 16 is connected to a suction motor 19.

This suction motor is in constant action, so

from the runway 1 through the drain outlet 0,.Figi 3 of the drawings. 7

Owing to the inclination of the holders 8 during the upper run of the endless carrier the head end of the fish will constantly bear against the inner face ofthe guard wall 3, the size of the holder being suflicient to permit of free movement of the fish. As the holder with the cleaned fish contained there- 'in is carried by the endless carrier over the sprocket wheel 4, the tail end portion of the fish will be at a downward inclination and the same will slip from within its holder onto the discharge chute 2l- -Fig. 1 of the drawings.

B the described invention there results a "per ect cleaning of the fish and this without mutilation of the same in any manner what- ,ever, the fish being in perfect condition for canning purposes. It will be understood that the fish are separated according to size prior to being acted on by the machine, so that a fish or only proper length for the holders are presented to any given machine. The tails are removed due to the fact that they are useless for eating purposes, and by the severing thereof less material is required to be severedfrom the head portion for prop. erly adapting the fish for a given size can, thus a greater quantity of meat is secured than where-the tails are left on the fish.

While'preference is given. to cleaning the fish by severing the headand by suction withdrawing the entrails lengthwise from masses the fish, it is obvious that the same results may be accomplished by cutting into the fish back of the head and presenting the cut portion to the suction means.

I do not wish to be understood as confining or limiting the invention to the details of construction as to the described working parts, being fully aware that the same may be mddified and varied without departing from'the nature and scope of the invention, which resides in the cleaning of fish by first cutting the same to gain access to the interior thereof, and withdrawing the entrails through such portion of the fish by suction, and it is this feature which it is desired to be understood as claiming broadly.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to protect by Letters Patent is 1. An apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising means for cutting the fish for obtaining access to the'interior of the same, suction means for withdrawing the entrails through such cut portion of the fish, and mechanism for presenting the fish successively to said cutting and suction means. I

less carrier ,working therein, a series of spaced fish holders secured to saidv carrier, cutting means within the path of the carrier for cutting the fish for obtaining access to the interior thereof, and suction means mounted adjacent to the carrier for withdrawing the entrails from the fish through the cut portion thereof.

4. An apparatusfor the described purpose, the same com rising mechanism for the cutting of fish or obtaining access to the interior thereof, suction means for removing the entrails of the fish through the cut portion thereof, and continuously traveling means for successively presenting fish to the cutting mechanism and to the suction means.

5. An apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising a runway provided with an upwardly inclined guard wall, an endless carrier provided with spaced fish holders working within said runway, cuttingmeans within the runway for cutting the fish within the holders for obtaining access to the interior thereof, a suction outlet in the guard wall of the runway, an entrail container connected with said outlet, and

suction means connected with said con- .tainer.

6. An apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising a runway with an upwardly inclined guard wall, an endless carrier provided with brackets inclined toward said guard wall, a series of inclined. fish holders mounted on said brackets and working within said runway, cutting means within the runway for cutting the fish within the holders for obtaining access to the interior thereof, a suction outlet in the guard wall of the runway, an entrail container connected with said outlet, and suction means connected with said container.

7. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising means for cutting the fish for obtaining access to the interior thereof, and suction means for withdrawing the entrails through said out portion, in combination with means for moving the out fish from the cutting means to the suction means.

8. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with a rotary cutting means, of a carrier for propelling the fish within and out of the sphere of the cutting means, and suction means mounted adjacent the carrier for withdrawing the entrails through the cut portion of the fish.

9. In an apparatus for the cleaning of fish, the same comprising a carrier for the fish to be cleaned, means within the path of the carrier for severing the head from the fish, and suction means mounted adjacent the carrier, acting on the severed head portion of the fish for the removal of the entrails therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST HAUBER.

Witnesses: V

HARRY A. Tou'ran, D. B. Rromuws. 

